Deep Within
by Kiri RainShadow
Summary: Two and a half years after Sasuke left Konoha for Orochimaru, he returns to the hidden village on a mission to assassinate the Hokage. Can Sakura help him open his eyes before it's too late? SakuxSasu
1. Chapter 1

Deep Within: Chapter 1

Disclaimer: No, I do not own _Naruto, _Masashi Kishimoto does.

--

The midnight sky above Konohagakure was lit up by the light of the full moon and the stars that accompanied it, lighting up the village below. That natural light of the sky aided the street lights in the village, but out in the forest surrounding it, the sky lights served a very important purpose. To a squad of ANBU and their charge, it was their only source of light. They welcomed it with open arms as they hurriedly made their way toward Konoha with as much care as possible.

Meanwhile, in the village, a teenage girl of about fifteen was wandering the desolate streets. This girl had no particular aim to her journey: it was a simple walk to clear her head of her worrying thoughts and stress. _They had sent the ANBU for himtwo weeks ago… Shouldn't they be back by now? What if it was too late? What if he was already…!_ She shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of such thoughts, her cherry blossom hair swaying this way and that as she did so.

Her jade green eyes began to take notice of her surroundings and she tried to figure out just where in the village she had wandered. It seemed that when her mind was occupied, her legs had taken her to the entrance gate of Konoha. The two jounin that were on duty were on the other side of the gate and had taken no notice of her. The teenager known as Sakura had come to a halt, her jade eyes staring expectantly at the dark gate as if something spectacular were to happen at any moment. But as many moments passed, Sakura realized that they were not returning now.

During the years after Sasuke left, Sakura had always wondered if he ever would return. In the beginning, she would silently eavesdrop on conversations around Tsunade's office in hopes that she would catch any sort of information on Sasuke's whereabouts. Yet as she silently waited for her mentor to finish her paperwork or give out missions, she found out nothing. It seemed that finding him would be no easy task, especially if he didn't want to be found. Eventually, Sakura tried to push the thoughts of him out of her head.

While thinking about the Uchiha boy could give her a reason to train even harder, the thoughts would always end up worrying her. She feared for him, for his safety. Yet the more she thought about him, the more she began to realize that she also feared that she would never see him again. It frightened her to think that she may never again be able to look into those dark eyes of his that always seemed to mesmerize her. Finally deciding that worrying about him was not going to help either of them, she managed to stop thinking about him for the most part.

That is, until she overheard some important news in the Hokage's office. A few weeks ago, as she was returning to the office to see Tsunade, she found her teacher speaking to a member of the ANBU squad. Thinking it was just another mission report, Sakura stood outside of the office to wait until they had finished speaking. However, as she waited there, she distinctly heard them utter something about Sasuke and Orochimaru. Now interested, she listened in to find that Orochimaru's hiding place had been discovered. Tsunade, realizing this may be their only chance to nab Sasuke from him, ordered a team of ANBU to go out immediately. Sakura was so excited by the news, she found that her mind was once again flooded with thoughts of him.

After that, she constantly wondered whether everything would turn out for the better, and with each passing day she worried more and more. She often found herself watching the gate just in case they had managed to pull through early, and that must have been what had brought her there this night. With a rather sullen sigh, she turned around and began to head back up the road she had come from. It was getting late; it would be best if she headed home. If they didn't make it back by tomorrow, Sakura wasn't sure that they would make it back at all. She had traveled no less than twenty feet when she heard it.

"There they are!" yelled one of the jounin guards, the hurried sound of footsteps soon accompanied the exclamation. Sakura quickly turned around, watching the dark gate like a hawk. Her heart was pounding quickly within her ribcage and her mind began to race. _Is it him? Is he okay?_ Within seconds she could see a few figures emerging from the gate. She gasped.

There he was, being supported on both sides by two ANBU. "Get him to the hospital, quickly. I shall report to the Hokage," a third ANBU, whom she assumed was the captain, called from behind the others before taking off in the direction of the Hokage's office.

Sakura took a few steps forward, her hands covering her mouth in disbelief while she focused on the figure supported by the ANBU. He was covered in battle wounds, and he seemed almost feverish. She gasped again, as for one split second his onyx gaze met her jade one before unconsciousness washed over his senses. "Sasuke…" she whispered softly into the night air.

--

_Sasuke stood in his appointed room in Orochimaru's lair. His arms were crossed over his chest as he started at the wall just inches from his face. His gaze almost burned holes in the wall while his mind was swimming though the many thoughts that had flooded it. He was itching to train more, to fight more, and to kill _that_ man. _I am an avenger…_ he thought defiantly for the hundredth time that afternoon. A steady knock came from his closed door and he scowled._

"_The door is open, you fool," he hissed, still keeping his fiery gaze on the wall. At the sound of his words, the door began to swing open and Kabuto stepped through. Sasuke turned to face him and sent him an icy glare. Kabuto just smiled in return. "What do you want?"_

"_Orochimaru-sama wishes to see you in his quarters immediately," Kabuto replied, dropping the smile quickly._

"_More training? We just finished the last session no more than a half an hour ago." Sasuke spat. Despite his words, Sasuke was eager to continue training. _The faster I get stronger, the better.

"_No, this is something far more important," Kabuto said. "Not saying that your training isn't important, Sasuke-kun," he added quickly with a grin, raising his hands up when Sasuke gave him a dirty look. "It would be wise to head there now," he paused and turned to leave. "You should follow me."_

_Sasuke pushed past Kabuto. "I can get there myself," he snapped, heading in the direction of Orochimaru's quarters. Behind him, Kabuto grinned and soon followed after him._

_The two ninja reached Orochimaru within minutes. Kabuto stepped ahead of the teen and walked through the doorway. "Orochimaru-sama, I have brought you Sasuke-kun," he said humbly. Sasuke glanced coldly around the room until he spotted Orochimaru sitting in a simple chair, watching them through snake-like eyes. _

"_What do you want from me now, Orochimaru?" he asked in a cold tone. Kabuto sent the teen a glare and took a swipe at him with a kunai, but Sasuke was too fast. The youth grabbed his arm and glared at him from above it. _

"_Haven't you learned your lesson, boy? Do not speak to Orochimaru-sama in that way." Kabuto continued to glare at the boy. _

"_Now, now," came a snake-like voice. "Didn't I teach you better manners than that?"_

_Sasuke reluctantly released Kabuto's arm and glanced at his master. "My apologies, Orochimaru-sama," he grumbled bitterly._

"_Much better," the voice hissed once again. "Now, Sasuke-kun, have a seat." Orochimaru motioned to the seat before him. His serpentine eyes watched the teen as he walked around Kabuto and took the seat. "I'm going to be giving you a mission," he said simply, a cruel smile forming on his lips._

"_A mission?" the teen questioned. "What about my training?"_

"_I have not forgotten your training boy, and if all the training we have gone through thus far had any effect on you, this mission should be rather simple. Not to mention, it might help you gauge your current strength… And if you succeed, I may just teach you my most powerful jutsu..." He let the words sink into the Uchiha prodigy, the cruel smile still playing on his lips._

_The boy leaned forward, his features beginning to show signs of interest. "Go on…"_

"_Your mission," began Orochimaru with a grin, "is to return to Konohagakure and assassinate the Hokage."_

"_What?" the dark-haired youth burst out. "You can't seriously believe that if I were to waltz on back to the village now, that the people would trust me enough to even let me get near the Hokage? Surely they would be suspicious of me returning without any sign of struggle!"_

"_Now boy, let me explain." Orochimaru gave him a dark look before speaking again. "I realize the situation, and because of this complication I have thought up a plan. Kabuto here was sent undercover to slip the Hokage information on my secondary hide-out. They should be sending their pitiful ANBU there any day now to 'rescue' you. Once we get there, and the ANBU are about to arrive, you will stage an escape. I will send a few of my followers out after you, and perhaps make an appearance myself… Get to the ANBU and urge them to retreat and take you along. I doubt they would be foolish enough to attempt and assault on me by themselves."_

_Sasuke looked up at Orochimaru. "Even if I'm taken back there by ANBU, the villagers would still look at me with mistrust in their eyes. I abandoned that pathetic village two and a half years ago to come here. I betrayed them. There is no trust left for me there." The cold tone had returned to his voice._

"_Yes, there is. You will have to regain their trust. And once the Hokage puts her trust in you and lets her guard down, you will strike. Return here once your mission has been completed." Orochimaru lifted himself from his seat. "Is that clear, Sasuke?"_

"_Yes, Orochimaru-sama," he said, nodding for emphasis. _

"_Good. We leave immediately for the secondary base."_

_- - -_

_Sasuke and Orochimaru were sitting together in a dimly lit room in the secondary hide-out. Several minutes ticked by in silence while Sasuke stared down at the floor, trying to avoid his master's snake-like gaze. Orochimaru's eyes were fixed on the young prodigy before him. Sasuke shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, causing a grin to appear on his master's serpent-like features. Thankfully, Orochimaru's gaze was averted from the teen when a figure rushed into the room._

"_Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto began, bowing slightly. "The ANBU should be arriving within three minutes." _

"_Excellent," he hissed, returning his gaze to Sasuke, who had now looked up at him with his own onyx gaze. "Sasuke-kun, do you remember your mission?"_

"_Yes, Orochimaru-sama," was his answer. _

"_Good. Kabuto, escort Sasuke out of here. I will send the fighters after him shortly." Kabuto nodded and motioned for Sasuke to follow. The two left Orochimaru in silence. _

_As they reached the exit, Kabuto came to a halt while Sasuke continued on. "Good luck, Sasuke-kun," he said with a smile. Sasuke continued on his steady pace, not acknowledging that he had heard him. He steadily pushed open the door in the cliff-face and continued to the outside. _

_Once he gazed at the surrounding forest, he broke into a full-out run. It had to look as if he was escaping, didn't it? It took no more than a minute before the Uchiha teen could see four figures rushing toward him, all dressed in the ANBU uniform. Sasuke skidded to a halt before them, leaning forward to catch his breath. The squad ahead of him slowed to a stop and surrounded him._

"_What are you doing?" one of them asked._

"_What," he paused to take a breath, "does it look like I'm doing? I'm trying to escape from that madman. If we don't get out of here now, they'll be on our asses in a minute!" He tried to push past the two in front of him. _

"_Too late," said a voice behind them. Sasuke turned around to see Kabuto and three more of Orochimaru's followers he did not recognize. Kabuto took a step forward, the same smile he always had in place on his features. "Return Sasuke to us now, and we won't hurt you… too much." He could hear Kabuto's three companions snicker at his comment. The ANBU leader shook his head and signaled for the squad to attack. He pushed Sasuke behind him. _

"_Sasuke, get out of here! We'll catch up to you later!" Sasuke heard the ANBU leader yell to him as he leapt into battle. The dark-haired youth nodded his head dumbly and took off in the direction of Konoha. Only a few steps had been taken when he felt an unknown force slam into the back of his head. Sasuke fell to the ground with a thud._

"_What the hell?" he yelled out, rolling over to find Orochimaru standing over him._

"_Hello there, Sasuke," he hissed, reaching down and grabbing his wrist to pull him up. For a few seconds, the two stared at each other with knowing grins on their faces. Sasuke pulled away to continue his act._

"_Get your hands off me!" Sasuke said bitterly, removing any sign of the grin from his face before any of the ANBU could notice. One of them turned in his direction at the sound of his voice and cursed. _

"_Shit! The snake-man himself is here!" he called, alerting his comrades of Orochimaru's appearance. _

_Sasuke slowly backed away from his master, as if planning to escape. Suddenly Orochimaru rushed to him, grabbing him by the shoulders and slamming him into a tree. _Shit! So you want to fight, huh?_ The teen grinned inwardly and lunged at Orochimaru, pulling out a kunai from the strap on his leg. He swung the knife at Orochimaru, who side-stepped the attack before throwing a kunai of his own at the Uchiha. Sasuke rolled to the side to avoid the dagger. _Crap_, he thought, leaping to the side once he realized that there was an exploding note attached to the kunai. A second later, the explosion sounded throughout the forest. The explosion was stronger than Sasuke had anticipated and it had flung him a few feet away. He skidded to a halt at Orochimaru's feet. Sasuke looked up at him to see that knowing grin once again on his serpentine features._

_--_

Sasuke awoke with a start, immediately sitting up in bed. _A dream…?_ He thought wearily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. _That's right… my mission…_ His dark eyes quickly looked over the room he was in by the sunlight pouring in through the window beside him. It was a simple white room furnished only by the bed he was currently resting on, a small wooden bedside table, two small stools at the foot of the bed, and lest we forget the unmistakable stench of a hospital room. The minutes ticked by in bitter silence as Sasuke remained where he was, shifting through his memories. The last time he had been in this hospital, he had been sent there by his brother. _I will avenge my clan._

But the soft sound of the opening door had torn him from his thoughts. Sasuke immediately turned to the door, silently watching as the door slowly opened to reveal who stood behind it. Despite her change in clothing and the more adult look she now had, Sasuke could instantly recognize the pink-haired youth who stood in the doorway. There was no mistaking that it was Sakura. She remained where she stood for a few more seconds, a gloved hand over her mouth and a look of shock painted on her features.

"Sasuke-kun!" she cried out suddenly, hurrying to his bedside and enveloping him in a hug. Her rosy tresses obscured his vision, and he soon found himself thinking back to the Forest of Death. He remembered standing with his curse seal activated when she had hugged him, instantly causing the seal to retract. He cleared his mind of the memory with a frown, slowly pushing her away. She took a step back and sniffled, trying desperately to hold back the tears that threatened to pour from her pure green eyes.

Sasuke glanced up at her quickly before some movement in the doorway caught his attention. A figure stepped into the room, hands casually resting in his pockets. Kakashi was the same as always, his hitai-ate tilted over one eye and his nose and mouth covered by the thin mask. "I see you're awake," his former teacher said simply as he came to a halt at the end of the bed.

The Uchiha's final visitor slowly walked through the door after Kakashi, stopping a few feet away from the bed. A glare so fierce was sent to Sasuke from the orange-clad fox-boy that he had no choice but to send him one of his own. And icy silence took a hold of the room as Sasuke and Naruto glared daggers at one another for the next few minutes. Finally, the uncomfortable silence was lifted as Naruto shifted and looked away.

"So, you're back in Konoha, eh?" he muttered coldly to the other teen while his ocean blue gaze fixed upon Sasuke once again. He took a few more steps toward the bed before coming to a halt and reaching into his pack. He slowly pulled out a bundle of cloth and metal from his bag. Naruto gazed at Sasuke's old hitai-ate in his hand, the cold metal glaring in the sunlight. The Konoha leaf symbol looked up at him, a single long scratch across it that remained from their last encounter. With another quick glance at Sasuke, he tossed it to him. "Welcome back," he said bitterly and turned to stand next to Kakashi.

Sasuke stared intently down at the hitai-ate in his lap for a minute or two, all the while the room was filled with silent tension. He let his fingers touch the smooth, metal surface and he traced the engraved symbol of Konoha. Slowly, he traced the scratch across it that Naruto had put there two and a half years ago. At last, Sasuke reached down and grabbed the forehead protector and slowly brought it up to his face. He paused for a mere second, took a deep breath, and tied it in place. He calmly looked at the others who had been watching him intently. Naruto was fruitlessly trying to hide a grin, while the faint traces of a smile could be found beneath Kakashi's mask. Last, he glanced at Sakura who was smiling brightly at him while tears of joy began to fall freely from her eyes.

Sasuke smirked, thoughts wandering to his mission. Orochimaru's words played in his head: _'You will have to regain their trust.'_

"Yeah… It's good to be back."

--

AN: Well then. The re-edited chapter one. I think it looks way better now than it did before. And just to clarify for anyone who might be confused, this story takes place right after the time-skip in the manga starts. So Naruto's only arrived in Konoha a few days before, and no Sai or Yamato. Unless I see fit to give them a cameo. I really don't like Sai, so don't get your hopes up. -grins-

And, as always, constructive criticism is welcomed with open arms.

-Kiri RainShadow


	2. Chapter 2

Deep Within: Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Nope. I still don't own _Naruto_.

--

Naruto and Sakura sat on the small wooden stools beside the bed attempting to work a conversation out of the Uchiha, or more particularly, his reason for such a sudden return. Kakashi stood to the side, leaning against the wall as he watched the scene unfold before him.

"So, what's up with your sudden return to Konoha?" Naruto finally burst out, asking the question that was on everybody's minds. He kept his ocean blue gaze locked onto Sasuke to emphasize his interest. Yet, Sasuke still had his usual look of indifference on his face. A moment went by in silence, no one moving.

"It might seem sudden to you, but I've been planning on escaping for the past two months. My training with Orochimaru was starting to slow down. I could tell he was running out of things he was willing to teach me. And no matter how much I argued for more training, he wouldn't give it. I figured it was my cue to leave before I ended up being used as his container after all." He glanced at his visitors, watching each of their expressions as he spoke. They seemed to be content with his story. "I finally saw a chance to make my escape, and lucky for me, it happened to be just as the ANBU arrived to get me."

It was then Sakura's turn to pipe up. "Sasuke-kun… what happened when you escaped? You were in terrible shape when the ANBU had arrived with you…"

"Once the word of my attempt at escape had gotten to him, Orochimaru himself came after me. We had begun to fight, but my mind was… distracted by the thoughts of escape," came the Uchiha prodigy's reply. His gaze remained on the blankets before him. "Our battle continued for a while before the ANBU were able to help," he continued. "The rest is mostly a blur as we escaped." _I'll have to get Orochimaru back for that…_ Silence crept into the room as the two teenagers took this in.

Suddenly, Kakashi broke the silence and spoke up. "You know… I was just thinking… Isn't it a funny coincidence that the three of you had each been instructed by one of the legendary sannin?" He chuckled warmly to himself. At this new information, Sasuke sat up quickly and glanced at the two beside him. He knew that Naruto had been trained by Jiraiya almost three years ago, so that meant Sakura had been trained by Tsunade.

"Hey, you're right!" Naruto exclaimed triumphantly, as if he had discovered this information himself. Beside him, Sakura giggled. The Uchiha's onyx gaze watched the cherry blossom angel before him intently, looking away before she or the others could notice. _Perhaps I can learn more about Tsunade from her…_ He let his mind contemplate just how he would obtain this vital information, but trying to ask her about it so suddenly might bring up some suspicions. The simple instruction played once again in his mind; 'You will have to regain their trust'. It was as simple as that.

Sasuke glanced around the room, realizing that he had no idea exactly how long he had been there, or when he was going to be able to leave. His onyx gaze shifted toward the other three ninja in the room, a questioning look written on his features. "How much longer do I have to stay in this hospital?" By the tone of his voice, the others could tell he did not wish to be in the building any longer than he had to.

"We actually came in here to check up on you. You've been here for a few days, and all you need now is the OK from a medical specialist and you're free to go… well, for now. I hope you weren't expecting to be let off of your charges for betraying the village just because you returned on your own," Kakashi stated and discontinued his leaning against the wall. His last comment caused the room to grow tense, nobody moving or saying a word. "I suppose I could go fetch the medic working on your case now." With that and a smile, he made his way out of the room.

--

Sasuke walked out of the stuffy hospital and into the fresh air outside, stretching his rested muscles. Kakashi took a bit of time to bring the medial specialist, and once she had arrived she gave him a quick check-up. It had been suggested to him to remain in the hospital for at leastafew moredays to make sure he had recovered completely. Yet, Sasuke, as stubborn as ever, refused and requested that he leave immediately. The specialist seemed reluctant at first, but Sasuke remained firm. Eventually, she gave in and allowed him to leave. It was reported that the Hokage would allow him to wander freely about the village for a day, albeit under the watchful eye of the ANBU and every other ninja in the village.

So, there he was, standing outside the hospital and glancing around the village. A feeling of nostalgia washed over him as he took in the sights he had not seen in over two years. People walked by, glancing at the Uchiha warily as the passed. Birds chirped from their perches in the trees. It had almost seemed the same at first glance, but there was tension in the air around him from the people who knew of his return. He chose to ignore it, simply shoving his hands in his pockets before continuing on. "Sasuke-kun, wait!" came a voice from behind. He paused for a second and glanced back to find Sakura hurrying toward him. She came to a halt beside him and smiled up at him warmly. His expression still remained cold and indifferent.

"What is it?" he asked impatiently, his onyx gaze watching the pink-haired kunoichi before him.

"Well, I thought I'd accompany you… You haven't been here for two years after all." Her jade pools met his fierce onyx ones quickly. She blushed and looked away, embarrassed. "But if you'd rather go alone, I understand…"

Sasuke looked up at the path ahead. "I don't mind," he muttered simply and began to walk again. A look of surprise instantly appeared on the kunoichi's face. She quickly set off after him, maintaining a steady pace once she caught up with him.

Normally, Sasuke's reply would have been a grunt before he took off without looking back. Though it already seemed that she trusted him, he had to be sure. It could not have been more than a tentative bond at the moment, and it was all or nothing. Besides, he may be able to sneak ina few questions about Tsunade as the walked.

At first, neither of them spoke; both seemed to be contemplating the all of these recent events. In the silence, the two of them looked at the sights surrounding them. Every once in a while Sakura would glance up at the Uchiha beside her, quickly shifting her gaze to the ground before he seemed to notice. She suppressed the urge to grab his hand and smile cheerfully up at him, for she feared that he might change his mind and continue on his own. As they walked along, the passersby whispered and pointed at the two teenagers.

Sasuke was used to such treatment; after Itachi massacred their clan, everyone watched the sole survivor with amazement. Inside, Sasuke felt his hatred for his brother rise. Sakura had her fair share of attention as well, but unlike Sasuke, there was no tragedy behind it. Two and a half years ago, she came to Tsunade and requested that she train her. Tsunade simply smiled and accepted. Once the word of this reached the people, she seemed to be quite the topic for gossip. After all, if the Hokage herself was willing to train her, she had to be something special.

But they both knew that this attention they received was different. These whispers and glances were not out of amazement, but instead out of contempt. The Uchiha who had betrayed the village _of his own free will_ was back, and Tsunade's student was able to trust him already? The two of them just chose to ignore the stares and focus on the path before them.

"Is there any place in particular you planned on going to?" Sakura glanced up at him again, speaking for the first time since they left the hospital. Sasuke glanced around at the buildings surrounding them. Up ahead, he could see the Hokage Mountain looking down upon the village.

"Not particularly… I just need to get used to the place again." He looked beside him to see the kunoichi nod in understanding.

It did not take long before the former teammates found themselves standing beside the railing in front of the Hokage Mountain. Sasuke stood with a calm demeanor, his hands resting in his pockets as he looked up at the five faces carved into the mountain. He recognized the first four faces from seeing them each day of his childhood. The last one had the air of a fresh carving, no more than a year old. Tsunade's face stared down at him from its perch.

He glanced to his side to witness Sakura watching the mountain with admiration through her sea green eyes.

"I see Tsunade had gotten the village back upon its feet…" Sasuke observed. It was true; after the Sound ninja attack two and a half years ago, Konoha went through rough times, but now it seemed as good as new. Sakura pried her attention from the mountain and looked up at the Uchiha and nodded.

"Yeah, she's brought it back to its old power. I think it may be even stronger than before."

A thought went through Sasuke's mind at her last statement. _'Stronger than before.' So that must be why Orochimaru wanted me to get rid of her… to put the village in turmoil and keep it from improving further._ "She must be an excellent ninja, then. She is one of the sannin after all, so she must be powerful," he commented.

"Oh, yes. I don't think I was ever able to get the upper hand when we sparred." Sakura laughed slightly and scratched the back of her head.

Sasuke opened his mouth to find out more, but he sensed something coming toward him. He whipped around and caught a kunai out of the air that had been flung at him. The attacker was a young genin, whom Sasuke assumed just graduated from the academy. The child's eyes widened at the sight of the scratch along the Uchiha's hitai-ate, which was remarkably similar to that of a missing nin. After a few seconds, though, the boy seemed unfazed and was back to glaring fiercely at him.

"Get outta here you traitor! Konoha doesn't need you around. Get lost!" the child finally screamed at him. He grabbed another kunai from his pouch and prepared to launch it but his arm was suddenly grabbed from behind. It was the genin's jounin instructor. The jounin pulled the kunai from his student's grasp and gave Sasuke a cold stare.

"Let's go. And _don't_ do that again unless you have a death wish," the jounin said to his student. He pulled him along by the arm, glancing one last time at the Uchiha.

Sasuke sighed; his job was not going to be easy. If a genin was willing to take a swipe at him, imagine what the higher ranked ninja must be planning. Sakura tentatively patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, Sasuke-kun. I'm sure this will all blow over in time."

He simply nodded in reply and thought sourly, _I don't have time._

Sakura glanced around quietly, finally resting her jade gaze on her former teammate. "Why don't we go find someplace to eat? You must be hungry after all of that time you spent in the hospital." A curious look was plastered on her face as she awaited his answer. His face was as unreadable as always while he contemplated the offer. On the one hand, it would give him a chance to get used to the village once again. It couldn't hurt to have the villagers become used to his presence again. On the other hand, Sakura might believe it was a date, and start to wonder if he had feelings for her. A tiny part of him wondered if that was such a bad thing.

He beat the thought away, murmuring, "I think I'll pass."

Sakura grabbed his hand and began to protest. "Oh, come on now Sasuke-kun! It's for your own good! You need to eat something."

Sasuke prepared to firmly decline the offer this time, but his stomach decided to voice its own opinion. He sighed in defeat. "Alright, but just something small." He noticed their hands linked together and blushed slightly. "And only if you let go of my hand." Sakura turned red when she realized that she still had his hand in hers and pulled it away hastily.

The duo quickly found a food stall along the streets and purchased a few dumplings and rice balls from the wary man behind the counter. They continued their walk, Sakura cheerfully munching on her food while Sasuke solemnly ate his. Silence wedged itself between the two of them as they finished their food. Sasuke quietly glanced around the village, memories flooding back to him. He remembered his childhood, the good times… and the bad. He remembered the lonely days spent training after his clan was destroyed. Sasuke grunted at the thoughts, shoving his hands deep into his pockets Sakura gave him a questioning look, but dared not ask what was troubling him; she was quite sure he was thinking of the past. After a few minutes of mindless wandering, Sasuke closed his eyes and let his feet take him along. Shortly after, he heard Sakura's footsteps slow, almost coming to a halt. His eyes slowly opened to see what she was doing. Immediately he stopped in his tracks, staring straight ahead at what lay before him. It seemed that out of habit, he had managed to take himself to his old home. The Uchiha villa stood solemnly, untouched and abandoned. The Uchiha family crest was shown proudly all about, hanging on flags and painted on the walls. They were the signs of the once large and strong family.

Silently, Sasuke took a step forward, onyx eyes darting to and from each abandoned building. He began to see the bodies of his brethren lying in the streets in pools of their own blood. The terror of that fateful night eight years ago was upon him again as stared at the streets, the images he saw seeming as real now as they did when he was only seven. Suddenly, he raced to his old home, fearing for the worst. He burst through the door, memories of Itachi standing over the corpses of their parents appearing fresh before him. Realization finally stuck him as he stood there. It was all in the past. Seething, he punched at the wall, tearing a hole in it with the force. He stared fiercely at the ground below him with Sharingan blazing in his eyes, breathing heavily in anger.

"Itachi…"

A sound to his left caught his attention and he immediately looked up, glaring at the figure in the doorway. It was Sakura, a look of fear blended with the sympathy on her features. She stood completely still, wondering if it was a bad idea to follow him into this section of the village.

"Sasuke-kun, I-I'm sorry—"

"Leave. Now!" Sasuke commanded, leaning against the wall he had punched. The ferocity and frustration on his features slackened slightly as depression slowly got to him. Sakura suddenly nodded, taking a step back, not daring to say another word. Then, she turned around leaving quickly before he could notice the tears beginning to form in her eyes. His crimson gaze followed her retreating figure for a moment before focusing his attention on the room he stood in. Sasuke sighed in frustration, slowly sliding himself to the ground. He wrapped his arms around his knees while he continued fuming alone in the empty room. He slammed a fist against the ground.

"Dammit!"

--

AN: Finally got the updated version of this chapter up. The old one was horrible. -shifty eyes- Anyway, I hope you're enjoying the story thus far. I'm getting close to finishing chapter three.

-Kiri RainShadow


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